Points of Light

The PC races are surrounded by monsters. A points of light inspired world.

Imagine the Roman empire as Hobgoblins, the Russian horse lords and chines(??) Mongols as Orcs, and the evil elves as the Egyptians… now imagine those were the only kingdoms other then little city states…

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The Hobgoblin empire is almost entirely militant. They are the closest ‘dark force’ and also the easiet to live with. Small villages can trade with Hobgoblin controlled Military Citadels and get a mostly fair deal (not withstanding harsh taxes). They are brutal and oppressive, but they are smart enough not to overextend themselves… and that is the small window the world has left for heroes…
The Hobgoblins worship a group of gods they call the 6 lords on high (Others call them the lords of order but you will never hear a Hob say that)
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The Orcs don’t have an empire, it is more like lots of small tribes of horse lords. I picture a dozen warring tribes and a few groups working together. I don’t have one large warlord yet. I don’t just picture pure barbaric hoards though, there are orc cities, small and fortified with there own food and supplies. I would actually say kind of like winterfell, but with nomadic camps around it. Inless you travel north for a while you probably will only meet raiding parties from this area. Orcs worship 1 of 3 sets of gods, most worship Grumish the first orc. Some worship the old gods of nature (druid) but others worship the 6 fallen lords (Others call them the lords of chaos but Orcs that worship them kill those people)
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The Elves are a bit Drow like. Scorpion Drow from Xaindrick but still drow. Dark skin (egyption not black) They are ruled by a god/king pharro they believe that the gods of the stars promised them the world, and they are going to take it. They believe that when pharroes die they become gods themselves… so they have a large pantheon of gods… maybe in the neighborhood of 30-40. There head god is the Scorpion god “Deos” a god that teaches only the strong survive. I am not going to try to make out an entire religion for them, but they have 3 things that set them apart from Egypt in Real World… 1) they burn there honored dead and scatter the ash on fertile ground (like oasis’s) 2) they cast there dishonored dead into mass graves. 3) They do not belive you can ‘take it with you’ when it comes to treasure.
It is a bit of a twist that the Elves are the villains of the world not the heroes.
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In the middle of all the shit are small ‘free holds’ When one grows too big the Hobgoblins kick down the ant hill. The places that last the longest are the small ones not worth raiding or messing with. It is a messed up world, one were little communities last well large cities get sacked.
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There are rumors of places that can repel the Orcs, challenge the Hobgoblins, and make the Elves re think coming a knocking… but they may just be Bard’s Tales…
Rumor mill: Hell gate Keep and Sky Keep and Cat’s eye Keep all have powerful artifacts that keep them safe from the hobgoblins… but they aren’t all the nicest either. (Details to come later) There is a rumored isle off the coast out of the grasp of the dark forces where a good kingdom thrives and someday may emass enough force to be a true contender on the world stage. People talk of a hidden grove in the Black Forest headed by a coven of witches and warlocks, the reason that the hobgoblins stay out of those woods. Lately people have been talking about 5 Dragon Kings that have somehow taken the power of dragons into themselves….
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PCs will start at 1st level (Cue the groans) in this small town at first defending some basics, then when things start to heat up between Elves and Hobgolins those city state rumors will need to be investigated…
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Pre game info: There are two bits I need PCs to pick up in there backstory… in a perfect world it would be a PC fighter and a PC Cleric, but I can work with you guys.

Game 1 -2 weeks: A group of adventurers came through town and tried to connect with the elven smith in town. What ever happened pissed them off (If a PC works with the smith that may be told before game) They stopped in the local tavern and asked if the owner would use his connections to sell a magic sword. He laughingly offered then 350gp for it… they said they would rather give it away… and so they did. A PC was in the area and they pulled the ‘kid’ aside and said “Here, it isn’t a very good sword, but it is better then anything you can get your hands on… either sell it and buy land, or try to do something with your life”

The Lightning Blade A badly weighted sword shaped like a lighting bolt and made of gold and iron alloyed. It is too heavy, and leans forward too much. Given time you could adjust to it, but for now it seems almost not designed to fight.
Non magic properties: This sword gives a -2 to hit and -1 to damage until you get used to it (AKA must use it in real fights)
Magic properties: It is a 1 kopesh by stats with 3 extra powers and 1 draw back (Medium slashing sword weighing 15lbs with a +8 initiative penalty dealing 2d4 to both med and large)
1) The first round of any combat you use the lighting blade in roll 2 dice for initiative and choose 1, if you take the higher (worse) roll the sword does +1d6 electrical on it’s first hit of the round.
2) Any round after the first you use it in combat you may roll 1 die code lower for initiative.
3) You may once per encounter use an action to make a magical lighting storm initiative mod +3 everyone within 10ft of you makes a reflex save for half damage on 2d6cha mod+1 lighting damage.
-1) You take -2 to any saves vs lighting

Game 1- 3 days: With a new shipment of supplies was supposed to be a book being brought in for the local priest (a relatively good guy) for what ever reason it was very important to him. A PC should know this…and maybe have a connection, because a tribe of kobolds (Little dogmen) have raided the caravan and taken the supplies.
Game 1: In a perfect world the PC WANT to ADVENTURE and will go slay some kobolds and return the supplies to town… and learn of 2 other low level threats in the area…
game 2-5 in a perfect world the PCs will make friends with the Bar owner (a bit of a dick but he has a reason) who helps be a middle man for adventurers. He is a “Quest Giver” who can prod you along when lost or board…
a few games in: expanding out into the free holds. Sooner or later you can’t just sit in town and wait for adventures, and sooner or later the big empires are going to go to war… and it doesn’t matter who wins… small towns like your loose.

The town of Heaven…

It’s a small town only a few hundred people, it is though the biggest of the small towns in the area. It has a small guard/milita and it’s own library(all be it one the size of my 1st floor of my house). It boasts a great deal of trade with the Hobgoblins, and many farmers from around the area come here to travel to the Hobgoblin empire.